| VIDEO |
 * President France A. Córdova, Dean Randy Woodson and lead donor Sonny Beck speak at the dedication of the new Beck Agricultural Center. (2 minutes, 52 seconds) |
| RELATED INFO |
| * Beck’s Hybrids |
| * Purdue Department of Agronomy |
| * Purdue Agronomy Center for Research and Education |
October 31, 2007
Beck Agricultural Center opens for teaching, training and research
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. - |
The $5.2 million building was financed with a major gift from the Beck family of Atlanta, Ind., combined with Purdue College of Agriculture development funds. The family owns and operates Beck's Hybrids, a seed company founded in 1937.
Purdue President France A. Córdova and the Beck family formally opened the facility with a dedication ceremony in the building's two-story lobby-reception area. The Beck Center contains space for classes, meetings, hands-on demonstrations and research. The building is part of the Purdue Agronomy Center for Research and Education on U.S. 52, located about seven miles northwest of the West Lafayette campus.
"The Becks have shown their trademark leadership in helping Purdue create a facility that will serve Indiana's farming community today and in the future," Córdova said. "Agriculture is a major economic driver for our state, providing students, faculty and farmers with a resource that combines classrooms, laboratories and opportunities for hands-on experience will help keep that industry on the cutting edge."
The building includes four classrooms, a multipurpose room, a conference room and a food serving area. A work area is set up for hands-on plant diagnostic demonstrations and research. The multipurpose room has a large garage door so that agricultural equipment can be brought into the building for teaching and demonstrations. Two of the classrooms have laboratory benches around the outside and tile floors so they can be used for biological research and teaching. The other two classrooms are set up as regular teaching areas with desks and carpeting to muffle noise.
"We wanted to support a facility of value to everyone, no matter their level of interest in agriculture or whether they're youngsters or college students, farmers or agriculture industry people," said Sonny Beck, president of Beck's Hybrids. "It's the Beck family's way of giving back to the community and Purdue for all they have done for us. It's also our way of providing for the future of agriculture and its improvement."
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The center's location is a major feature because it's easily accessible to campus and also is convenient for farmers and other off-campus visitors who want to participate in various meetings, classes and research projects, Beck said.
The building is a visible symbol of the 70-year Purdue and Beck Hybrids partnership, he said, and it will help ensure that Indiana agriculture has the best, most up-to-date training in farming methods and plant and pest diagnostics.
The Beck Agricultural Center fills a need for Purdue and the agronomy farm by providing a building for activities that formerly were held in tents or garage space on the property, said Randy Woodson, Purdue's Glenn W. Sample Dean of Agriculture. Purdue farms attract more than 8,000 people annually for workshops and training programs, and about 5,000 elementary through high school students and teachers visit for various classes.
"The Beck family has long been integral to the state's economy and to Purdue," Woodson said. "Their spearheading of the fund drive for this new facility allows the university to fulfill the ever-growing demand from farmers and agriculture businesses for land-grant universities to provide essential education and research that can have immediate and long-term impacts."
The Beck family's association with Purdue began when Sonny Beck's father, Francis, attended agriculture short courses at the university in 1929 and 1930.
Beck's Hybrids began in 1937 when Francis and his father, Lawrence Beck, each planted three-acre allotments of seed corn from the university's botany department. Francis and his wife, Pauline, remained active in the business until their deaths in 1999 and 2001, respectively.
Francis Beck's business philosophy was to provide a 100 percent free replant agreement on every bag of Beck's seed corn. His son, Sonny, and Sonny's children continue that practice on all of the company's corn, soybean, wheat and alfalfa seed, which is marketed to farmers in Indiana, Ohio, Illinois, southern Michigan and western Kentucky.
Sonny Beck earned his bachelor's degree in agronomy at Purdue in 1962 and his master's in agricultural economics in 1964. Glendia, his wife and company secretary, attended Purdue and worked in the Department of Animal Sciences for several years while Sonny finished his degrees.
Sonny and Glendia's children Scott, Tony and Kim, are Purdue graduates and are all part of the company, along with Kim's husband, Todd Marschand, Scott's wife, Shantel, and Tony's wife, Tracey.
Writer:Susan A. Steeves, (765) 496-7481, ssteeves@purdue.edu
Sources: Sonny Beck, (317) 984-3508
Randy Woodson, (765) 494-8391, woodson@purdue.edu
Ag Communications: (765) 494-2722;
Beth Forbes, forbes@purdue.edu
PHOTO CAPTION:
Sonny Beck wields a mighty pair of scissors for the ribbon cutting of the Beck Agricultural Center Wednesday morning. Beck is flanked by Purdue President France A. Cordova (right), his wife Glendia and Randy Woodson, the Glenn W. Sample Dean of Agriculture. The 20,000-square-foot Beck Agricultural Center, which will provide facilities for educational opportunities for all ages was dedicated Wednesday (Oct. 31) at Purdue University's agronomy farm. The $5.2 million building was financed with a major gift from the Beck family of Atlanta, Ind., combined with Purdue College of Agriculture development funds. The family owns and operates Beck's Hybrids, a seed company founded in 1937. (Purdue University photo by Tom Campbell)
A publication-quality photo is available at https://www.purdue.edu/uns/images/+2007/beck-celebration.jpg
PHOTO CAPTION:
The Beck family is recognizing their connection with Purdue through a gift to make possible the Beck Agricultural Center. The family includes Glendia Beck and Shantel Beck (seated from left), and Tracey Beck, Tony Beck, Sonny Beck, Kim Marschand, Todd Marschand and Scott Beck (standing from left). Sonny and Glendia's children Scott, Tony and Kim, like their father, are all Purdue graduates. (Photo contributed)
A publication-quality photo is available at https://www.purdue.edu/uns/images/+2005/beck-family.jpg
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